Great Migration Rally

 Pelicans at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

There is a real gem 30 minutes away from our new place in Kansas.  I bet you've never heard of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, but it turns out that 50% of all birds that migrate across North America pass over or stop right here in our backyard.  In fact, they get over 300 types of birds at the refuge, including the very rare Whooping Cranes who come through in the fall (check out Nathan's blog from last November).

Our first Saturday in Kansas, we participated in The Great Migration Rally, a scenic car tour starting at Quivira and finishing at Cheyenne Bottoms, a state-run rehabilitated marshy recreation area, and the Kansas Wetlands Education Center.  This was an excellent way to get to know the area as there were five stops along the way at scenic overlooks and a local winery.

I don't quite know how to explain how awesome Quivira is, except that I was not into birding before and now I kind of am.  The wetlands are beautiful without the wildlife, but getting to watch Nathan, an experienced birder, check bird after bird off his life list, was thrilling.  I started a list of my own (see below)!  If only the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Christmas Bird count could be this good.

A couple photos of the refuge:

 Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

 Although I can't drink any wine now, my second-favorite stop on the auto tour was the Dozier Winery, a super-cute farm open six days a week for agro-tourism.

Pond at the Winery

Quivira Birding Checklist:

• Snow Goose
• Canada Goose
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Green-Winged Teal
• Ruddy Duck
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Eared Grebe
• American White Pelican
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Osprey
• American Coot
• Killdeer
• Black-necked Stilt - Really cool-looking birds
• American Avocet - We got to see a crazy mating dance
• Wilson's Phalarope - These little guys swim in circles by the hundreds, trying to dredge up food from the bottom
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Western Kingbird
• Eastern Kingbird
• Cliff Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• European Starling
• Blue Grosbeak
• Read-winged Blackbird
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Baltimore Oriole